Schönefeld starts construction of the controversial deportation center on BER!

Schönefeld starts construction of the controversial deportation center on BER!

Brandenburg takes a crucial turn in refugee policy: The municipality of Schönefeld has given the green light for the construction of a recording and exit center at the airport. This could be the first step in the implementation of an extensive plan to reform the deportation policy. As the Berliner Zeitung , the Interior Ministry has already announced in Potsdam that the building permit procedure "now immediately" will follow.

The construction is realized by a private investor who will rent the center to the state of Brandenburg after completion. This measure is part of an overarching endeavor to tighten the asylum and return measures in Germany, a topic that recently focused on politics.

Details for setting up

The planned center will have 48 places in the custody of exits and 60 places in the transit area. The construction period is estimated to be about two years, with the possibility of partial operation until the beginning of 2028. The investor has already started the demolition work on the site.

refugee organizations are concerned and refer to the facility as a "deportation center". They express concerns about human dignity and the general conditions under which the returns should take place.

deportation flights to Afghanistan

While Germany continues to tighten its deportation policy, the most recent deportation fees to Afghanistan are also the focus. On Thursday morning, an aircraft with 81 men, who are considered "liable to leave" there, started from Leipzig Airport to Kabul. This was the second deportation freight since the Taliban took over in August 2021, as the German Welle . In the summer of 2024, Germany had previously enabled the returns to Afghanistan.

The Afghan citizens who have now been deported have been convicted of serious and severe crimes, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul made it clear that Germany did not recognize the Taliban regime and only handle the returns through technical contacts with a liaison office in Qatar.

Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt emphasizes that there was a “legitimate interest of the citizens” in such deportations and strives to achieve direct return agreements with Afghanistan. UN-Hilfswerk UNHCR, on the other hand, rejects the plans because the security and human rights situation in Afghanistan is considered not resistant to return.

The new migration policy is all about an impending migration summit on the Zugspitze, to which Dobrindt invited EU Minister. The aim is to find more efficient solutions for the challenges of migration and to tighten the asylum procedures. The return flight took place shortly before this summit and could strongly influence future politics.

With these developments it becomes clear that Brandenburg is breaking new ground in the refugee issue and the political discussion about asylum and repatriation is still very popular.